Improvement in processes of retouching photographic negatives



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Processes of Retouching Photographic Negatives. No. 144,723. PatentedNov-18,1873.

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D. H. WRIGHT. Processes of Retouching Photographic Negatives.No.'144,723. 'PatentedNov.18,l873.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

DAVID H. \"VRIGHT, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES OF RETOUCHING PHOTOGRAPHIC NEGATIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 144,723, dated November18,1873; application filed September 30, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID II. WRIGHT, of Terre Haute, in the county ofVigo and State of Indiana, h. ve invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Retouching Photograph Negatives; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification, and are in two sheets.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a perspective view. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a sideelevation of the reverse side. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a pulley, eccentric,and pitman detached.

My invention relates to a new process of re touching photographicnegatives, and to a new combination of the devices for operating the newprocess; and consists in imparting, by any suitable machinery ordevices, proper motion to negativeeascls, or to hand-rests, so that, byholding the retouchin g-pcncil in proper position, near or in contactwith the surface of the negative, the retouching is performed by themotion imparted by machinery to the negative itself, or to the handholding the pencil, thus producing a liner stippled effect, andperforming the work in less time than it can be done in the usual way bythe hand alone.

The easel and operating devices are arranged upon and attached to atable, A, of suitable size and structure. B is a bar, with holes ornotches on the top, hinged or pivoted at one end to suitable supports,a, and attached at the other end to a pitman, 7), connecting with aneccentric or cam, c, on the inner end of a pulley, d. O represents thenegative-easel, hinged to the frame b, and provided with a prop, dpivoted to the side of the easel, and arranged so that the lower end mayrest in one of the holes on bar B, as shown in Fig. 1. The easel isprovided also with a prop, 0 on the opposite side from prop (1 arrangedto rest on frame I), to support the easel when the motion is imparted tothe hand-rest instead of the easel. 1) represents a reflector in theframe I), which frame serves as the bed of the easel when folded down. Eis a shade, hinged to the top of the easel, provided with a prop, 0 F isa hamlrest, hinged to a base, a, in front of the easel, and is providedwith a prop, (1 arranged for the lower end to rest upon the bar B, asshown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines. G is a drive-wheel on shaft 0, havingits bearings in the standards of the table, and ar ranged to be run by atreadle, H, or by a crank, I. The rim of the wheel is constructed so asto carry a belt or band, f, extending over a pulley, g, (see Fig. 2,) onthe axle of a wheel, K, which carries a band extending over pulley d, onthe inner end of the shaft of which is the eccentric c, to which isattached pitman I), the upper end of which connects with the end of barB.

The rate of speed of bar B and number of motions of the easel orhand-rest in a given time, it is readily seen, depend upon the relativesizes of the wheels and pulleys.

At present the wheel G is made about fifteen inches in diameter, andwheel K about one third of that size, which wheel K and its pul= ley gare used only to obtain increased speed, andmight be dispensed with bymaking wheel G sufficiently large, and running band f over pulley (P.

The length of the movement of the easel or hand-rest is regulated byshifting the position of the lower end of the props. To increase thelength of the movement, the props are placed nearer the end of the barwhich is connected with the pitman, and to lessen, farther from thatend.

Inretouchingbymynewprocess,thenegative N is placed on the easel G, andthe lower end of prop d in one of the holes in bar B, as shown in Fig.1, and the wheel G is revolved, imparting vibratory motion to the bar13, and to the easel and negative, and by holding the retouching-pencilin proper position in relation to the surface of the negative rapidretouchcs are produced by the machinery, thus produca finer stippledeffect, and performing the work in less time than by the usual mode.

WVhen it is desired to perform the work of retouching by imparting themotion to the pencil instead of the negative, the prop d is turned up,as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and prop 0 turned down to rest onframe I) to support the easel, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lower end ofd is placed in one of the holes in bar B, as shown in Fi 1 by dottedlines,

and the hand holding the retouching-pencil rests on the rest f, and themovements of bar B impart the requisite retouching motion to the handand pencil.

Any suitable devices maybe employed which will impart to the negative orpencil the proper motion by which the retouching may be performed.

hat I claim as new in the process of retouching photographic negativesis-- 1. Imparting motion to the negative by means of suitable machineryor devices, so that by holding the retouchin g-p encil in properposition the retouching is performed by the motion imparted to thenegative, substantially as described.

2. The improvement in the process of retouching photographic negativesby imparting motion to the retouching-pencil being held in the hand ofthe operator on a rest having vibratory motion, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a bar, B, having vibratory motion, with aphotograph-easel, U, or hand-rest F, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

4. The combination of the bar B, pitman I), eccentric 0, wheels G K, andpulleys (l g, with the negative-easel O or rest F, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this10th day of September, 1873.

DAVID II. IVRIGHT.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. HOLLOWAY, J. M. ADAMS.

